Adjusting means for slidable side jaw wrenches



Aug. 11, 1953 F. A. CALBO ALEMANY 8,

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCHES Filed Aug. 4, 1951 f 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Fray A. Calba 4leman BY 14 T TURIVEY PatentedAug. 11, 1953 OFFICE ADJUSTING MEANS FOR SLIDABLE SIDE JAW WRENCHES FrayAlejandro Calbo Alemany, Oheva, Spain Application August 4, 1951, SerialNo. 240,364 In Spain September 7, 1950 I 2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to wrenches, and is particularly directedto improvements in the adjusting mechanism for a slidable side jawwrench.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wrench of thedescribed character wherein the relative movements of the jaws are.positively effected by manual actuation for both closing and opening ofthe space or span between thejaws.

Another object is to provide a wrench of the described character whereinthe use of a spring element to provide for relative movement of the jawsin one direction is avoided, so that the useful operating life of thewrench is not limited by fatigue of a spring element.

Another object is to provide a wrench of the described character whereinthe jaws are movable to each other in instantaneous response toadjustments efiected by the user of the wrench, and the jaws retaintheir adjusted relative positions without excessive play.

Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wrench ofthe described character which is simple in construction and relativelyinexpensive to produce, and wherein the parts can be easily assembled ordisassembled.

In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects,features and advantages are achieved by providing a wrench having afixed jaw and a movable jaw mounted for movement toward and away fromthe fixed jaw. A threaded spindle is mounted for rotation about an axisat a substantial angle to the direction of movement of the movable jawand for axial displacement in response to the rotation of the spindle.The present invention provides an arrangement for converting the axialmovements of the spindle into movement of the movable jaw toward andaway from the fixed jaw and this arrangement comprises a guide surfaceon the movable jaw at a substantial angle to the axis of the spindle, ahead on the spin-dle formed to bear against the guide surface when thespindle is moved axially in one direction for displacing the movable jawin one direction relative to the fixed jaw, a slot formed in the movablejaw parallel to the guide surface and opening longitudinally at thelatter through a channel of reduced width, an extension projectingaxially from the head of the spindle and extending loosely through thechannel of reduced width and into the slot, and an enlargement on theend of the axial extension within the slot and having a width greaterthan the channel so that, when the spindle is moved axially in theopposite direction, the enlargement will bear in said slot fordisplacing the movable jaw in the opposite direction relative to thefixed jaw. Further, in accordance with the present invention, theextension preferably has a, length slightly greater than the depth ofthe channel and the clearance between the slot and the enlargement isgreater than the difierence between the length of the extension and thedepth of the channel so that the engagement of the head with the guidesurface and the engagement of the enlargement with the surface of theslot is alternative to minimize the frictional resistance to movement ofthe movable jaw.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, an illustrativeembodiment thereof is hereinafter described in detail and shown in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a slidable side jaw wrenchembodying the present invenion;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the wrench of Fig. 1 viewed fromthe side and with a spindle element thereof shown in elevation;

3 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional View taken along the line 3-3of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the structure shown in Fig.3.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the slidableside jaw wrench I0, having adjusting mechanism embodying the presentinvention, includes a fixed jaw I I integral with the head I2 of thewrench at one end of the wrench handle I3. A transverse opening orchannel I 4 extends through the head I2 of the wrench below the fixedjaw I I, and inwardly directed guide ridges or rims I5 extend along theopposite sides of the top of the opening or channel I4 and are inclinedrelative to the longitudinal axis of the handle I3. A movable jaw I6 isarranged for movement toward and away from the fixed jaw I I and has alower portion extending into the channel I4. The lower portion of themovable jaw I6 is formed with grooves in its opposite side facesreceiving the guide ridges I 5 (Fig. 3) so that the latter guide themovements of the movable jaw relative to the fixed jaw. The handle I3 isformed with a longitudinal slot I! opening at the opposite sides of thehandle and having guides I81; and I8b along the opposite longitudinaledges thereof. A threaded bore I9 extends longitudinally in the handleand opens at its opposite ends into the channel I4 and the slot I I. Aspindle 20 is disposed in the handle and includes an upper threadedportion 2| of relatively small pitch threadably engaging in the bore Hi,and a lower threaded portion 22 of relatively large pitch which extendslongitudinally in the slot IT. A nut 23 is threaded on the lower portion22 of the spindle 20 and is manually movable along the slot IT. The nut23 is formed with suitable grooves in its opposite edges to slidablyreceive the guides |8a and I8?) so that the latter prevent rotation ofthe nut 23 while permitting axial movement of the latter. In order topermit assembly of the nut 23 on the lower portion 22 of the spindle,the end of slot l! remote from the threaded bore I9 is enlarged, as at24, and, after such assembly, a pin 25 is extended across the enlargedend of the slot to prevent inadvertent removal of the nut 23 from thethreaded lower portion 22 of the spindle. It is apparent that movementof the nut 23 along slot will cause rotation of the spindle 20 and thatthe engagement of the upper threaded portion 2| of the spindle 29 in thethreaded bore l9 will convert the rotation of the spindle into axialmovement of the latter relative to the handle I3 so that the upper endof the spindle 20 will be made to project, more or less, into thechannel II in the head of the wrench.

In accordance with the present invention, the mechanism for convertingthe axial movements of the spindle 20 into movement of the movable jawI6 toward and away from the fixed jaw includes a head 26, which may havea conical upper surface, formed on the upper end of the spindle 20 toengage upwardly against a guide surface 21 formed on the lower edge ofthe movable jaw 16 at a substantial angle to the axis of retation of thespindle so that, as the spindle moves upwardly, the head 26 bearsagainst the inclined guide surface 21 and causes movement of the jaw l8toward the fixed jaw II, that is, toward the left as viewed in Figs. 1and 2. The lower portion 'of the movable jaw H5 is formed with a slot 28parallel to the guide surface 21. The slot 28 is preferably ofcylindrical configuration and opens along its length at the guidesurface 21 through a channel 29 of reduced width, that is, having awidth substantially smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical slot28. A rod or extension 30 projects axially upward from the head 26 andextends loosely through the channel 29 of reduced width into the slot28. ment 3| is formed on the end of the extension 30 within the slot 28and has a diameter greater than the width of the channel 29 so that theenlargement 3| can be removed from the slot 28 only at the ends of thelatter. Thus, when the spindle 20 is moved downwardly, the enlargement3| bears downwardly on the surface of the slot 28 and causes the jaw I6to move in the direction away from the fixed jaw II, that is, toward theright as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2.

As seen in Fig. 4, the extension 30 has a length which is greater thanthe depth of the channel 29 by a distance indicated by the letter dl,and the diameter of the cylindrical slot 28 is greater than the diameterof the enlargement 3| by a distance indicated by the letter 112. Inaccordance with the present invention, the distance d2 is preferablygreater than the distance d| so that, when the enlargement 3 engages thelower surface of slot 28, the head 26 is out of engagement with theguide surface 21 and, when the head 26 engages the guide surface 21, theenlarge- An enlarge- 4 ment 3| is centered in the slot 28 therebyminimizing the frictional resistance to movement of the jaw I6 towardand away from the fixed jaw From the foregoing, it is apparent that theadjusting mechanism for a slidable side jaw wrench embodying the presentinvention effects positive movement of the movable jaw l8 both towardand away from the fixed jaw II in response to axial displacement of thespindle 20.

While I have described and shown an illustrative embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothis precise embodiment and that various changes and modifications maybe made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a slidable side jaw wrench having a fixed jaw, a movable jawmounted for movement toward and away from the fixed jaw, and a threadedspindle mounted for rotation about an axis at a substantial angle to thedirection of movement of the movable jaw and for axial displacement inresponse to the rotation thereof; an arrangement for converting theaxial movements of the spindle into movement of the movable jaw towardand away from the fixed jaw comprising a guide surface on the movablejaw at a substantial angle to the axis of rotation of the spindle, ahead on the spindle formed to bear against said guide surface when thespindle is moved axially in one direction for displacing the movable jawin one direction relative to the fixed jaw, a slot formed in the movablejaw parallel to said guide surface and opening longitudinally at thelatter through a channel of reduced width, an extension projectingaxially from said head of the spindle and extending loosely through saidchannel of reduced width and into said slot, and an enlargement on theend of said extension within said slot and having a width greater thansaid channel so that, when the spindle is moved axially in the oppositedirection said enlargement will bear in said slot for displacing themovable jaw in the opposite direction relative to the fixed aw.

2. In a slidable side jaw wrench; the arrangement according to claim 1,wherein said extension has a length slightly greater than the depth ofsaid channel and the clearance between said slot and said enlargement isgreater than the difference between said length of the extension andsaid depth of the channel so that the engagement of said head with saidguide surface and the engagement of said enlargement with the surface ofsaid slot is alternative.

FRAY ALEJANDRO CALBO ALEMANY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,306,020 Nilson June 10, 1919 1,739,182 Schlote Dec. 10, 19291,915,396 Alemany June 27, 1933 2,322,550 Steinacher June 22, 19432,447,094 Schlote Aug. 17, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date702,042 France Jan. 19, 1931

